第39章 THE SIXTH - EXEGETICAL(8)

The bishop felt that there were a great number of points to this situation, and that it was extremely difficult to grasp them all at once.But one that seemed of supreme importance to his whirling intelligence was that Lady Ella should not know that he had gone to relieve his soul by talking to Lady Sunderbund in London.It had never occurred to him at the time that there was any shadow of disloyalty to Lady Ella in his going to Lady Sunderbund, but now he realized that this was a thing that would annoy Lady Ella extremely.The conversation had in the first place to be kept away from that.And in the second place it had to be kept away from the abrupt exploitation of the new theological developments.

He felt that something of the general tension would be relieved if they could all three be got to sit down.

"I've been talking for just upon two hours," he said to Lady Ella."It's good to see the water boiling for tea."He put a chair for Lady Sunderbund to the right of Lady Ella, got her into it by infusing an ecclesiastical insistence into his manner, and then went and sat upon the music-stool on his wife's left, so as to establish a screen of tea-things and cakes and so forth against her more intimate enthusiasm.Meanwhile he began to see his way clearer and to develop his line.

"Well, Lady Sunderbund," he said, "I can assure you that Ithink you will be no small addition to the church life of Princhester.But I warn you this is a hard-working and exacting diocese.We shall take your money, all we can get of it, we shall take your time, we shall work you hard.""Wo'k me hard!" cried Lady Sunderbund with passion.

"We will, we will," said the bishop in a tone that ignored her passionate note.

"I am sure Lady Sunderbund will be a great help to us," said Lady Ella."We want brightening.There's a dinginess...."Lady Sunderbund beamed an acknowledgment."I shall exact a 'eturn," she said."I don't mind wo'king, but I shall wo'k like the poo' students in the Middle Ages did, to get my teaching.

I've got my own soul to save as well as help saving othas.Since oua last talk--"She found the bishop handing her bread and butter.For a time the bishop fought a delaying action with the tea-things, while he sought eagerly and vainly in his mind for some good practical topic in which he could entangle and suppress Lady Sunderbund's enthusiasms.From this she broke away by turning suddenly to Lady Ella.

"Youa husband's views," she said, "we'e a 'eal 'evelation to me.It was like not being blind--all at once."Lady Ella was always pleased to hear her husband praised.Her colour brightened a little."They seem very ordinary views," she said modestly.

"You share them?" cried Lady Sunderbund.

"But of course," said Lady Ella.

"Wondyful!" cried Lady Sunderbund.

"Tell me, Lady Sunderbund," said the bishop, "are you going to alter the outer appearance of the old doctor's house?" And found that at last he had discovered the saving topic.

"Ha'dly at all," she said."I shall just have it pointed white and do the doa--I'm not su' how I shall do the doa.Whetha Ishall do the doa gold or a vehy, vehy 'itch blue."For a time she and Lady Ella, to whom these ideas were novel, discussed the animation of grey and sombre towns by house painting.In such matter Lady Sunderbund had a Russian mind."Ican't bea' g'ey," she said."Not in my su'oundings, not in my k'eed, nowhe'e." She turned to the bishop."If I had my way Iwould paint you' cathed'al inside and out.""They used to be painted," said the bishop."I don't know if you have seen Ely.There the old painting has been largely restored...."From that to the end there was no real danger, and at last the bishop found himself alone with his wife again.

"Remarkable person," he said tentatively."I never met any one whose faults were more visible.I met her at Wimbush House."He glanced at his watch.

"What did she mean," asked Lady Ella abruptly, "by talking of your new views? And about revelations?""She probably misunderstood something I said at the Garstein Fellows'," he said."She has rather a leaping mind."He turned to the window, looked at his nails, and appeared to be suddenly reminded of duties elsewhere....

It was chiefly manifest to him that the difficulties in explaining the changes of his outlook to Lady Ella had now increased enormously.

(7)

A day or so after Lady Sunderbund's arrival in Princhester the bishop had a letter from Likeman.The old man was manifestly in doubt about the effect of their recent conversation.

"My dear Scrope," it began."I find myself thinking continually about our interview and the difficulties you laid bare so frankly to me.We touched upon many things in that talk, and I find myself full of afterthoughts, and not perfectly sure either quite of what I said or of what I failed to say.I feel that in many ways I was not perhaps so clear and convincing as the justice of my case should have made me, and you are one of my own particular little company, you were one of the best workers in that band of good workers, your life and your career are very much my concern.

I know you will forgive me if I still mingle something of the paternal with my fraternal admonitions.I watched you closely.Ihave still my old diaries of the St.Matthew's days, and I have been looking at them to remind me of what you once were.It was my custom to note my early impressions of all the men who worked with me, because I have a firm belief in the soundness of first impressions and the considerable risk one runs of having them obscured by the accidents and habituations of constant intercourse.I found that quite early in your days at St.